The Evolution of Women throughout Winesburg, Ohio
Sam Schuman 4/11/14
From Insignificant to Equal:
The Evolution of Women throughout Winesburg, Ohio
Gender roles have always played a crucial part in life. Throughout history the acceptable standard of behavior has been different for men and women and traditionally there have been different roles associated with each sex. In today’s society gender roles still exist, however; there is less disparity between men and woman and more of an equal balance between the sexes. This is in contrast to the way women were viewed a hundred years ago and the role they played in the family and in society. In the 19th Century, women were viewed as homemakers whose primary responsibility involved taking care of the house and raising children. They did not play a role in society or have a voice outside of their home. They were not able to vote, work outside of the home or participate in government and were essentially viewed as “second class citizens” who were lower than men in society. During the early 20th century this began to change as women challenged their traditional roles and began to gain more rights and more respect thereby putting them on a more “equal” level with men. The changes seen during this century forever changed the make-up of society and created a world where men and women are supposed to be treated as equals. Nonetheless, this is not always the reality and gender roles are still a major aspect of society and most people have distinctive views on how men and women should act and their place in society. These gender differences and the traditional roles men and women play are often seen in novels and stories. Novels written about different time periods in history give insight into the differences between men and women during that time. Therefore, we can see changes in gender roles and the differences between men and women simply by reading stories of different time periods.
Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson, is a novel in which the males
From Insignificant to Equal:
The Evolution of Women throughout Winesburg, Ohio
Gender roles have always played a crucial part in life. Throughout history the acceptable standard of behavior has been different for men and women and traditionally there have been different roles associated with each sex. In today’s society gender roles still exist, however; there is less disparity between men and woman and more of an equal balance between the sexes. This is in contrast to the way women were viewed a hundred years ago and the role they played in the family and in society. In the 19th Century, women were viewed as homemakers whose primary responsibility involved taking care of the house and raising children. They did not play a role in society or have a voice outside of their home. They were not able to vote, work outside of the home or participate in government and were essentially viewed as “second class citizens” who were lower than men in society. During the early 20th century this began to change as women challenged their traditional roles and began to gain more rights and more respect thereby putting them on a more “equal” level with men. The changes seen during this century forever changed the make-up of society and created a world where men and women are supposed to be treated as equals. Nonetheless, this is not always the reality and gender roles are still a major aspect of society and most people have distinctive views on how men and women should act and their place in society. These gender differences and the traditional roles men and women play are often seen in novels and stories. Novels written about different time periods in history give insight into the differences between men and women during that time. Therefore, we can see changes in gender roles and the differences between men and women simply by reading stories of different time periods.
Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson, is a novel in which the males
Cited: 1. Anderson, Sherwood. "Godliness: Surrender." Winesburg, Ohio. New York: Dover Publications, pg. 51 2. Anderson, Sherwood. "Adventure." Winesburg, Ohio. New York: Dover Publications, pg. 64 3. Anderson, Sherwood. "Sophistication." Winesburg, Ohio. New York: Dover Publications, pg. 150 4. Anderson, Sherwood. "Tandy." Winesburg, Ohio. New York: Dover Publications, pg. 84-5 5. Anderson, Sherwood. "To George Freitag." Winesburg, Ohio. New York: Dover Publications, pg. 150 (in a different addition of book, that’s why page is same as # 3) 6. Rigsbee, Sally A. "The Feminine in Winesburg, Ohio." Winesburg, Ohio. New York: Dover Publications, pg. 178-81. 7. Rideout, Walter B. "The Simplicity of Winesburg, Ohio." Winesburg, Ohio. New York: Dover Publications, pg. 172.